Taking a long-term trip takes commitment - the same kind of commitment, one could argue, that a long-term relationship with another human being takes. So, if you've got one, can you have the other at the same time? Or does one of them have to suffer? BootsnAll member benleb is in a tough situation ....

When you hear that travelers are threatening World Heritage Sites, just by visiting these extraordinary places, what do you think? It's gotten so bad that locals are trying to turn travelers away. It's not entirely a new phenomenon, but it's come to my attention again because of a recent write-up in The Guardian . There...

I've been in Milan for the last week, and although I'd heard the horror stories before about the torture that is Milan in August I hadn't yet experienced it firsthand before my arrival last Tuesday. Y'know that old saying about air being so thick you could cut it with a knife? While I've always heard...

Sometimes the hardest part of a trip is simply booking it. Finding the best deals, avoiding hidden fees, tracking down a place to print out reservations, and dealing with electronic glitches can be incredibly frustrating. The NY Times has an article on this issue, Worst Part of a Trip May Be Booking It on the...

Ask just about any long-term traveler why they've turned to the camaraderie of like-minded internet friends, and they'll probably tell you it's because their "real-life" friends just don't understand why they're so intent on hitting the road for so long. To a certain extent, that kind of confusion is understandable. Long-term travel isn't for everyone....

The NY Times had an article about visiting the Louvre Musuem in Paris . While it's mainly about one museum, the writer uses it as a launching pad to discuss why we go to mueums. He also questioned whether modern tourism and technology may have cheapened the experience of seeing art. If you've traveled for...

August. For years, the word "August" conjured up images of the last gasps of summer - those proverbial "dog days" spent savoring the good weather and those final days before school started up again. Then in my post-school years, August was just another month like all the rest, only a little bit warmer. This year,...

Another inspiring story of a family on extended travel comes from Condé Nast Traveler . Wendy Perrin writes about Sue Sandford and her four kids (ages 14, 13, 10, 8), who set off last week for a year abroad. First stop? Russia. Still ahead of them: 33 other countries. Rather than look at it as...

I realize that I read abnormally fast (mostly because all of my friends say "Hey, Claire, you read abnormally fast!") but I surely can't be the only one who occasionally dreads long flights, train rides, or car trips because I absolutely know I'll finsh my book before I get there and be stuck with the...

Looking for a roommate (or, as they say in France, a coloc )? If you're in France, specifically Paris, and can, you know, speak French, consider using Appartager , a wonderful website designed to help roommates find other roommates in some of the most desirale locations in Europe. Ever wanted to live in the 19th...

It's only because a postcard arrived for me in the mail recently that I realized—I hardly ever get postcards! They've gone the way of Tweets and Facebook updates, haven't they? Sure, the social media versions may be more immediate and link to 30 photos instead of just one. But there's something nice about a tangible...

What Vagabonder doesn't want some used gear, at cheap cheap cheap prices? Especially if you are a camper or backpacker...or kayaker...or biker... Two extremely popular outdoor supply stores, REI and MEC , offer "used gear" garage sales to their card-holding members, at least once or twice a year. These bonanza style sales often open their...

When you're just dreaming about a RTW trip, it can feel like anything is possible. When you move into the planning stage, that's when the rubber meets the road. Pricing out round the world tickets can be alternately exhilarating and frustrating, especially if you find that not everything is as it looks. BootsnAll member wanderingnotlost...

Why couldn't this class have been around when I was in college? Included in the syllabus: road-tripping and meeting the locals. " 40 States in 40 Days " is a class offered at Belmont University in Nashville with the goal of touring the country and asking locals "What does it mean to be American?" Joining...

As Americans, we tend to think that we don't have the same work abroad opportunities that Europeans, Australians, and Canadians do. But did you know that you can work in Australia or New Zealand if you're under 31 years old? In Australia, the "Work and Holiday" visa (subclass 462) came into effect back in 2007,...

If you're like me, you like to just throw down a tent wherever the fancy strikes you, and camp your butt off. Sometimes you don't want to deal with the hassle of going to a campground, sometimes you don't want to deal with the COST of going to a campground (I almost choked when I...

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard of Twitter , the social networking micoblogging site/iPhone app/time suck that purports to connect you to your friends and your cabal to the rest of the world through succinct 140-character statements on what you had for breakfast. I remember back when Twitter was first around and everyone was...

For months we've been simultaneously grimacing at the bad economic news and rejoicing at the fantastic travel deals that resulted from said bad news. We know we've been repeating ourselves on this subject, telling everyone who'll listen, but some of the prices on airfare, cruises, hotel rooms, and vacation packages were just too good not...

I found out about this cool service from the Journeywoman newsletter, which is also worth subscribing to for their cool tips and occasional nuggets of usefulness for the permanent traveler (although it's geared more towards vacation travelers). HelpX describes themselves as "an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs,...

If you're an artistic person and would like to participate in an art experiment long distance, consider answering Seattle gallery Ouch My Eye's "Call for Artists" . They're seeking art by mail, between July 4 and July 18, 2009 -- absolutely anything you send will be displayed. What a perfect art project for the vagabonding...